Is enjoying 'Metroid: Other M' wrong?

[Quaidis]

If anyone rags on you because you like a game, ignore them. Those are the type of people who have a hard time liking anything and hates to see other people enjoy themselves. They are irrelevant.

It's not that I like getting ragged on by pessimistic anti-Metroid: Other M people, nor that I'm ashamed of enjoying a game (which is what a ton of people assumed on pages 1 and 2), it's just that it's so hard to hold a decent conversation about the game and its game play when everyone I come across that has seen/played/heard of/tasted/smelled the game suddenly goes into this 'you played Metroid:Other M? Hisssssss *holds up cross*' attitude. I'm frankly weirded out by it and rather confused.

There is goodness involved in getting multiple opinions and condolences on this thread.

 

[DustyDrB]

If anyone rags on you because you like a game, ignore them. Those are the type of people who have a hard time liking anything and hates to see other people enjoy themselves. They are irrelevant.

It's not that I like getting ragged on by pessimistic anti-Metroid: Other M people, nor that I'm ashamed of enjoying a game (which is what a ton of people assumed on pages 1 and 2), it's just that it's so hard to hold a decent conversation about the game and it's game play when everyone I come across that has seen/played/heard of/tasted/smelled the game suddenly goes into this 'you played Metroid:Other M? Hisssssss *holds up cross*' attitude. I'm frankly weirded out by it and rather confused.

Some gamers and stereotypical hipsters have something in common. They can't or won't acknowledge that people can enjoy things they don't. Since I'm technically a member of both groups (I'd have a hard time denying either, at least) and hate this attitude, yeah, it's fucking annoying.

Seriously, it's like when an indie-focused publication a few years ago released a book on a celine Dion album. Initially people had the reaction you mention and said that there can't possibly be good discussion or value to it. Then people actually read the book and saw that even with things they don't like, you can definitely have a good conversation about it.

You can have a good discussion about anything. People just need to get over that initial reaction to realize it.

 

[The Seldom Seen Kid]

From that boss at the end of Sector 3 (the first time around) to Sector 2 to mid-Sector 3 (the second time around) is epic. The rest blows. The reason it was the best (and only good part) is because it basically shut everybody up and let a Metroid game be a fucking Metroid game with cool adventure moments, cooler boss fights and awesome exploration/platforming.
I would almost be able to forgive the game if the ending wasn't absolutely atrocious. That subplot with the killer was actually kind of interesting too and I was really into it but then they abandoned it like nothing had ever happened and went right back to the original plot with Samus and Adam and friendship and trust and father-figures. WTF. Not to mention the absolute terrible boss fight. It didn't even attack you! It just stood there.

/rant.

I'm incredibly infuriated with Nintendo for having given Samus a voice and emotions. Not because I'm opposed to the whole idea, but because they did it so epicly bad that I would have found it entertaining had I not been a fan and therefore absolutely insulted.

 

[Krythe]

The primary reason people dislike it: The problem people have with Other M is that for silent protagonists, the player mentally fills in the blanks for personality, voice, e.t.c. When all these things are provided in a sequel and it conflicts with the players' mental image (and it will, they're not psychics) it creates a strong cognitive dissonance.

The more obvious reason why people dislike it: Yahtzee dislikes it. Half the escapist community would suck his balls if he ordered them to. He's like the Australian Xerxes.

 

[Wintermute_]

Then the complaints stop, no one can ***** about the game play besides that.

And I'm still enjoying the game. Somehow this is mortifying.


So am I just not getting something? Is there more that I should be angry about? Will it somehow break the game later on? Or is there some other reason I shouldn't be enjoying this?

Okay, how about the amazingly annoying way I can only shot missiles in first person and can't move? Why on earth did they make me use a Wiimote sideways, making it a reeeaaally ineffective controller compared to, say, the GREAT controls and interface used in Metroid Prime 3? The shift between side scrolling and firstperson I found to be pretty awkward also. just felt unnatural, and the camera angles occasionally caused me to lose my bearings and aim and in general gameplay was B rated at best.

Just gotta say dude, I don't mind that you like the game (sorta), but average if not annoying gameplay coupled with crippling plot hole and amazingly stupid story devices and the general rape of Samus, it just shattered immersion for me and made the game a chore, and bog any fun gameplay could have brought me.

And am I the only one who thinks the enemies just look stupid? Like really stupid?

 

[starwarsgeek]

Haven't played it. But everything I've heard sounds like it can be interrpreted differently.

The lava scene is supposed to make her look stupid and dependent. Doesn't change the fact that when she didn't have the protective gear, she just runs through the volcano anyway. Successfully?

The emotional problems make her a weak character? It might just because I haven't set through the internal monologue yet...but isn't getting a body count as high as Ms.Aran's while having these issues more badass than, say, sending in Spartan 1337 to do the job?

To me, the strongest character is not the one with no problems, but the ones that can carry on despite any problem--even internal ones. They may break down sometimes, but they are never stopped permanantly.

 

[Dark Knifer]

No, I enjoyed it myself. The strange thing is that I have no idea why. The story wasn't that great, gameplay was a bit broken, dialogue and characters... Well, you know... But for some curious reason, I was immersed in the game in a way that I haven't ever done before. I still to this day don't know why, I'm hardly a metroid fanboy, but I couldn't put this game down, even if it was terrible.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Okay... but sorry, I AM part of the Metroid fanbase (massive fangirl) and Metroid Prime is undoubtedly non-canon.
That's not insulting, it's fact, it has been said several times now by several sources.

Not doubting it's a great series, i loved metroid prime 1 and 2 (not so much corruption) but it's not canon.
-Tabs<3-

Yeah I know it's considered non canon because Sakamoto, being the idiot that he is, said it was non canon. Why? Because it fucked with the terrible story he wanted to tell. And I think disregarding a successful series with a great amount of praise as non canon because it messes with your ideal story is not only pretentious, but insulting to those who happened to like those game.

Basically, Sakamoto only got rid of the Prime games so he could make his terrible Other M plot make slightly more sense. Unfortunately for him, it still fails miserably.

When did I ever say it was noncanon? It's merely a different timeline. A different story.

Also, when did I ever give the slightest indication that I cared about the opinions or feelings of others?

Which is the equivalent of saying non canon.

Also, the last part was referring to Sakamoto's decision to dismiss the Prime games.

The more obvious reason why people dislike it: Yahtzee dislikes it. Half the escapist community would suck his balls if he ordered them to. He's like the Australian Xerxes.

When did it become trendy to claim that people primarily dislike something because Yahtzee does? I'm seeing it a lot more recently.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Not really.

It's wrong for anyone to be mad at the story, though. What the hell did you expect from TEAM NINJA?

A tale of empowerment? These guys make Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden.

I've always wanted to ask - why does Team Ninja get all of the hate for the Other M story? The writer of the game is actually employed in Nintendo. He co-created Metroid.

If someone should be at fault, it's him.

OT: No, why, how is it wrong? It's not like it's some racist-propaganda game or something.

 

[Quaidis]

Basically, Sakamoto only got rid of the Prime games so he could make his terrible Other M plot make slightly more sense. Unfortunately for him, it still fails miserably.

[snip]

Also, the last part was referring to Sakamoto's decision to dismiss the Prime games.
[snip snip]

I received a revelation while reading these two things you stated: Even if Sakamoto's new ideas did not become the perfect flower he was hoping for, I think it was both healthy and good for him to dismiss the Prime games and stop making them. Who only knows how many numbered sequels to a game, regardless of how perfect that game is, makes it pretentious and serialized. I'm sure if they kept making Prime games, no matter how much I enjoyed Metroid Prime 12, there would be people on this very forum ranting about how stupid other people are for loving 4, 7, and saying how cartoonized and low-grade 9 was. How Metroid Prime 5 was terribly over hyped.

I'm also beginning to wonder what Nintendo is going to do for the next new Metroid. Are they going to stay with Team Ninja and make two more Other M's? Or are they going to find a new dev team and start a whole new series?

 

[Firia]

I don't have a Wii, so I was pre-disapointed in that I knew I'd never get to play Other M. I still have only played (in terms of "recent metroids) Metroid Fusion on the cube. So I figured the trend would stick. My solution was you watch a lets-play-100%-items. No voice intrussion from the player, so I was able to enjoy with no external interruption.

With a game hailed as the sequel to my favorite metroid of all time, Super Metroid, I was excited. Samus with a voice and a narative through the whole game? I was more then excited, I was trying to figure out how I could dig up money for a Wii and a game. But then, I started to see how Samus handled herself in the new narrative. I found it to be very submissive to a stark male authorative presence.
[snip!]

You should try out the Prime series if you haven't, especially 3. Man did I love those games.

Also don't know how you're surprised about how Samus was portrayed when Team Ninja did the game. Everyone, and I mean Everyone who saw the first previews and learned that TN was making it thought of 'jiggle physics' and 'shy, dominateable' women. Even if the guy who wrote the plot was someone who originally made the other Metroid games, Team Ninja being anywhere involved with the title made the presentation of the plot and Samus's character least surprising.

If you're shocked by Samus anyway, then treat the game's plot as you would... oh... Zelda CDI, where Link was first given a voice. Mind you, it's nowhere near as terrible, but it's one reason why I'm not too phased by games like Other M.

On the by, you should get a Nintendo Wii. It has backwards compatability with the GC, you can dl old games off of it, and there are tons of good games on it. I recommend the Metroid Prime series, Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4, and Monster Hunter 3 as your first titles, then work from there. The notion that the Wii is a gimmicky waste of time with only spam games is over-hyped. There are plenty of fun games both old and new if you're smart enough to look for them. (I badly want to see how 'hardcore' people quote this and reply.)

I can't afford a Wii right now. I want to play the prime games, but it'll have to wait until 2013 when I'm graduated from college. And I don't know who Team Ninja was, other than the guys that did Heavenly Sword (I think?) which I REALLY enjoyed.

 

[Drummie666]

I feel the need to post again with this many posts saying that people who hate the game do so because of Yahtzee. I played the game well before his review. I still thought that the game was terrible in every possible aspect. Not just the story but the gameplay too and even that, I don't just mean the first person, the third person platforming was average and combat was bland, uninteresting and worst of all, broken. I do like the fact that Yahtzee's review contained many of the things I've said about it, but I came to my conclusions well before his review. Besides, hatred for Other M also started well before his review. Please stop bringing him up.

BTW, anyone who HASEN'T played the game and hates on it really should shut their mouths and go rent it. Just saying that to be safe.

 

[Internet Kraken]

I received a revelation while reading these two things you stated: Even if Sakamoto's new ideas did not become the perfect flower he was hoping for, I think it was both healthy and good for him to dismiss the Prime games and stop making them. Who only knows how many numbered sequels to a game, regardless of how perfect that game is, makes it pretentious and serialized. I'm sure if they kept making Prime games, no matter how much I enjoyed Metroid Prime 12, there would be people on this very forum ranting about how stupid other people are for loving 4, 7, and saying how cartoonized and low-grade 9 was. How Metroid Prime 5 was terribly over hyped.

I'm also beginning to wonder what Nintendo is going to do for the next new Metroid. Are they going to stay with Team Ninja and make two more Other M's? Or are they going to find a new dev team and start a whole new series?

I'm not mad that Retro (since they're the ones who made them) aren't going to be putting out more Prime games. But just because games like Prime aren't being made any more doesn't mean the plots of those games had to be considered non canon. That was only done to make the story of Other M make slightly more sense. Of course it still doesn't so ultimately it was pointless. Again, this can all be related to Sakamoto being a terrible writer.

As for Team Ninja, a lot of the hate for Other M has been unfairly aimed towards them so I doubt they'll get to make another Metroid game. Seeing their logo on the box would probably drive a ton of people away.

BTW, anyone who HASEN'T played the game and hates on it really should shut their mouths and go rent it. Just saying that to be safe.

Why should I waste my money and time on a terrible game when I have learned more than enough by reading articles and watching videos about it? The internet is a vast source of information that lets you learn a lot about something without experiencing it first hand.

 

[Quaidis]

I can't afford a Wii right now. I want to play the prime games, but it'll have to wait until 2013 when I'm graduated from college. And I don't know who Team Ninja was, other than the guys that did Heavenly Sword (I think?) which I REALLY enjoyed.

I hold a small fragment of sadness in my heart for your inability to buy a Wii.

Team Ninja does games like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_or_Alive_Xtreme_Beach_Volleyball

They have also introduced to the gaming world something called 'jiggle physics'.

One of their media stunts that they did in Japan was to mold a set of boobs onto a wall on a random street and film random surprised passerby's as they messed with or fondled the boobs.

This, and a few other reasons, is why people were both surprised that Nintendo would pick them as the next Metroid Dev, and why they weren't surprised by Other M's depiction of Samus.

edit- a company called Ninja Theory did Heavenly Sword

 

[Drummie666]

BTW, anyone who HASEN'T played the game and hates on it really should shut their mouths and go rent it. Just saying that to be safe.

Why should I waste my money and time on a terrible game when I have learned more than enough by reading articles and watching videos about it? The internet is a vast source of information that lets you learn a lot about something without experiencing it first hand.

Because, in case you forgot, video games are an interactive medium. That and this is one of those things you just have to experience for yourself to believe. Besides, I said rent, not buy and this thing is worth the rent price just to experience the sheer horridness of it, think of it as a bad movie. If you go into it with the right mind set, you will laugh your ass off. Or better yet, find some way to download a torrent of the game and install it on your wii. I don't want those sales figures going up.

 

[Alleged Despair]

I have to agree with some of the cut scenes are just outright boring and the story demeans samus' character. But I do enjoy the game a lot even though hardmode is a little unfair (ex: some bosses have a 1-hit kill attacks) Luckily once you beat the game you can skip cut scenes

 

[Firia]

I can't afford a Wii right now. I want to play the prime games, but it'll have to wait until 2013 when I'm graduated from college. And I don't know who Team Ninja was, other than the guys that did Heavenly Sword (I think?) which I REALLY enjoyed.

I hold a small fragment of sadness in my heart for your inability to buy a Wii.

Team Ninja does games like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_or_Alive_Xtreme_Beach_Volleyball

They have also introduced to the gaming world something called 'jiggle physics'.

One of their media stunts that they did in Japan was to mold a set of boobs onto a wall on a random street and film random surprised passerby's as they messed with or fondled the boobs.

This, and a few other reasons, is why people were both surprised that Nintendo would pick them as the next Metroid Dev, and why they weren't surprised by Other M's depiction of Samus.

Oooooh, THOSE jerks. That makes me sad. I heard about the grope thing in japan, and familiar with Dead or Alive. This makes sense why people were hesitant.

 

[Internet Kraken]

BTW, anyone who HASEN'T played the game and hates on it really should shut their mouths and go rent it. Just saying that to be safe.

Why should I waste my money and time on a terrible game when I have learned more than enough by reading articles and watching videos about it? The internet is a vast source of information that lets you learn a lot about something without experiencing it first hand.

Because, in case you forgot, video games are an interactive medium. That and this is one of those things you just have to experience for yourself to believe. Besides, I said rent, not buy and this thing is worth the rent price just to experience the sheer horridness of it, think of it as a bad movie. If you go into it with the right mind set, you will laugh your ass off. Or better yet, find some way to download a torrent of the game and install it on your wii. I don't want those sales figures going up.

No, you do not need to experience a game like Other M. Mainly because the plot isn't interactive at all. It's just told through unskippable cutscenes. A plot analysis tells me more than enough about this game. So no, I shall continue complaining about this game when relevant with the comforting knowledge that I didn't spend a dime on it.

Oooooh, THOSE jerks. That makes me sad. I heard about the grope thing in japan, and familiar with Dead or Alive. This makes sense why people were hesitant.

Again, blaming anything but the gameplay and exploitation of Samus as a sex figure on Team Ninja isn't fair. Sakamoto is the one who made the story truly horrendous. Everyone was expecting Team Ninja to exploit Samus. I don't think anyone expected or to be completley ruined as a character by becoming a pathetic coward with dependency issues.

Luckily once you beat the game you can skip cut scenes

Jesus, Sakamoto really wanted to cram his shitty story down the player's throat as much as possible.

 

[Antonio Torrente]

Why should I waste my money and time on a terrible game when I have learned more than enough by reading articles and watching videos about it? The internet is a vast source of information that lets you learn a lot about something without experiencing it first hand.

You are definitely right when you said that, why would I cut myself with a very sharp knife in order to know if it's painful?

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Luckily once you beat the game you can skip cut scenes

Wait... the cutscenes of the game are unskippable?

All of that trash I've been watching on YouTube was not skippable? You were forced to sit through it or waste your time?

Well, this is just awful. At least if the gameplay is good and the cutscenes are skippable, the problem isn't that big. But, here we go, you have to watch them.

Just why?